Device for measuring dress-skirts



No Model.)

- A. S. NEWGOMB.

DEVICE POR MEASURING DRESS SKIRTS.

No. 519,090. Patnted May 1,1894

to the belt. Figs. 3 and 4 represent the front UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABNER S. NEVCOMB, CF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR IVIEASURING 'DRESS-SKIRTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,090, dated May 1, 1894.

. Application led July 8, 1893- Serial No. 479,973 (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABNER S. NEWCOMB, a citlzen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for 'Measuring Dress-Skirts, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, and in which- Figure l represents a perspective View of my lmproved device extended in the form as applied to the person when in use. Fig. 2 represents a sheet metal plate cut in suitable form to makea hooked clasp which is attached and side views of the completed hooked clasp as formed from the* plate shown in Fig. Zand Figs. 5 and 6 show respectively front and edge views of the sliding clasp carried by the graduated tapes.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A denotes a belt provided with a buckle, or suitable fastening, by which it is fastened around the waist of the person. Hanging upon the belt are four hooks B capable of sliding along the belt, in order to vary their position and bring the measuring tapes in any desired position, usually with one at the front, one at the rear and one at each side of the person. The hooks B are provided with slots B', B', through which I'pass the graduated tapes C with the upper ends of thetapes attached to rotating keys D, which are held in lugs D projecting from the sides of the hooks B. To`the lower ends of the graduated tapes C, I attach weights C so that if desired the tapes may be allowed to hang free from the hooks B and be held in a vertical position by the weights; or if the graduated tapes C rest upon the dress skirt, they will be held in contact therewith by the weights C. Near the lower ends of the graduated tapes, I place slotted plates, or clasps E, provided with slots E', E through which the graduated tapes C pass and also with'the slots E2, E2 between which is a raised portion E3 and through the slots E? and between the body of the plate .s'tituted therefor.

and the raised portion E, I pass an elastic dat wire F, preferably made of spring tempered steel, in order to expand the lower ends of the measuring tapes to correspond with the desired size of the bottom of the dress skirt. The ends of the spring-tempered wire F passing through a clasp F and are capable of sliding therein, in order to allow an adjustment in the diameter of the hoop formed by the wire F. y

A short distance below the belt A, I place another set of slotted plates, or clasps G similar to the plates E, in order to receive a graduated tape H, which is inserted through lthe slotted plates G in the same manner as the hoop F in the plates E. The plates G are ad j ustable along the graduated tapes F and are held in4 position by their friction upon the tapes so as to determine the desired vertical position of the graduated tape Hby which the hip-measure is taken.

The measuring device is used as follows: The belt A is buckled around the Waist of the person and the measuring tappe C unwound from the keys D until the weights C nearly touch the door. The hoop F is then expanded to the desired size of the bottom of the dress skirt and is raised or lowered to the desired height by winding or unwinding theY tape C, and as the tapes C are graduated fro'm their lower ends upward, the length of the skirt is readily read from the measuring tapes C, as indicated by the cross bars I extending across the tapes from the lugs D. The slidesGare then adjusted vertically upon the tapes C to indicate the position of the desired hip-measure which is taken by the graduated tape H.y When the device is not in use, the slides G are moved down the tape C next to the slides E and the tapesC are then wound upon the keys D, which are held from turning too freely by the frictional resistanceI of the lugs D.

I do not confine myself to the specific form of the slottedhooks B, or of the slotted plates E and G as other known forms can be sub- What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a dress skirt measuring device, the

combination of a belt A, a series of hooks B,

IOO

provided with slots B and adjustable on said belt, a series of graduated tapes C heldin said slots and Weights C,by which said tapes are drawn over the dress skirt, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the belt A, hooks B adj ustably attached to said belt, a tape Winding mechanism carried by said hooks, a series of graduated tapes held by said Winding mechanism and Weights attached to said graduated tapes, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a belt, a series of hooks adjustably held upon said belt, graduated tapes suspended from said hooks and an elastic expanding hook F supported by said 15 graduated tapes, substantially as described.

4. The combinationof a belt A, hooks B provided with lugs D a Winding keyD held by said lugs, graduated tapes C, weights C', expanding hoop F and adjustable sliding 2o clasps G held by said graduated tapes, substantially as described.

Dated this 3d day of July, 1893.

ABNER S. NEWCOMB.

Witnesses: A

RUFUs B. FOWLER, HENRY W. FOWLER. 

